Recovery from addiction begins in alcohol treatment facilities that provide supervised detox to keep you safe during the withdrawal process. No matter how strong you want to be, detox at home is a dangerous plan and should never be attempted. Supervision during your withdrawal from alcohol is the only safe way to remove alcohol from your system so that you can move on to the emotional and behavioral aspects of addiction treatment. After detox, programs for treatment can include inpatient residential care or intensive outpatient support for those who have a safe home environment to return to.

Start Your Recovery with Alcohol Treatment Facilities

When you are ready to start your journey of recovery, you'll want to find an alcohol treatment facility that offers supervised detox. If you are not actively abusing alcohol but you want support to learn more about your addiction, you will probably benefit from a short-term rehabilitation program to address the behaviors and thoughts that lead to addiction. When you have the support of a short-term rehabilitation program, you will be able to feel safe in your recovery and have the information you need to learn about how addiction has taken over your life. Only you can decide when it's time to begin treatment, and you will discover how much support is out there for you once you make the choice to ask for it.

How Alcoholics Anonymous Helps Your Recovery Process

Alcoholics Anonymous is a peer support network that is designed to teach those addicted to alcohol or drugs about recovery. It helps you maintain your sobriety through a series of steps. You will be encouraged to attend meetings in your community and participate when you feel comfortable. There are 12 steps of the AA process, and you will work with a sponsor to help you make it through each step successfully. The length of time you spend on each step will vary, and there is no set timeline for completing the 12 steps. You will be taught to reach out to others when you feel weak, and you will learn how to support your peers in their sobriety. AA helps you build a strong support network and gives you somewhere to turn when you feel as though you are going to start abusing alcohol again.

The Types of Programs You Will Discover in Addiction Treatment

While you will probably start in a detox facility to begin your recovery, your journey can go in a number of directions after detox. A short-term rehabilitation program gives you 24-hour support in a residential setting so that you can build on the recovery you started in detox. For people who are new to recovery or who don't feel ready to return home, short-term rehabilitation is an excellent choice. You can also return home and attend an Intensive Outpatient Program. An IOP provides you with support during the day and you go home each night. You attend structured programming that includes group sessions, individual counseling, and discussion groups and are then able to leave the facility each day. When you aren't ready to return home after a short-term rehabilitation program, you can go to a long-term rehabilitation program.

Long-term rehabilitation programs can last for months, while you learn about addiction and get stronger in your recovery. For many people, long-term rehabilitation is a time to take a break from the stress of daily life in order to gain a stronghold on sobriety. If you still aren't prepared to return to the community, you can choose to go to a sober living program and live with others who are working on their recovery. In a sober living community, you live among peers and you learn ways to integrate back into the community. You will be supported throughout your journey of sobriety if you ask for the support.

The Dangers of Detoxing from Alcohol

Alcohol is dangerous to detox from. Many individuals try to stop drinking alcohol on their own but are not successful because the withdrawal causes symptoms that are difficult to manage. The only thing that can stop difficult withdrawal symptoms when you are at home alone is drinking alcohol again. The first symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can include feeling unwell as if you have the flu, agitation, or shakiness. The symptoms can quickly escalate into delirium tremens, which can lead to seizures, coma, and death if not treated properly. It is highly dangerous to try to detox from alcohol by yourself and many people addicted to alcohol don't understand the dangers.

Intensive Outpatient Program vs. Residential Treatment

The main difference between an Intensive Outpatient Program and residential treatment is people in IOPs go home each night. The support offered throughout the day is quite similar. IOPs are a good alternative for people who have a safe and supportive home environment to return to. Residential treatment is good for people who don't feel ready to return home and need the 24-hour support of a program. In residential treatment, there is always someone you can talk to if you are feeling nervous or concerned about things going on in your life.

Strategies to Help You Prevent a Relapse from Occurring

You will hear a lot about relapse prevention strategies that can help you avoid a relapse during the recovery process. While it is important to accept that relapse is often part of recovery, this doesn't mean you don't need to work on strategies to prevent a relapse. Any activity that helps you feel a sense of calm can be considered a relapse prevention strategy. Many individuals who need alcohol treatment facilities have a hard time coping with the stress in everyday life. It can be easier to turn to drugs or alcohol when you are feeling overwhelmed if you have not developed strong coping skills. Relapse prevention strategies give you the tools you need in order to better manage from day to day.

What to Expect in Alcohol Treatment Facilities

You may be nervous about what you will encounter in alcohol treatment facilities, but you don't have to be afraid. Facilities for addiction treatment are designed to give you a comfortable place to be while you recover from your addiction step by step. You will discover that the atmosphere is professional and you will be treated with the respect you deserve. When you are in the facility, you will meet all types of people, many who are much like yourself. You will learn that addiction to alcohol does not discriminate and you will meet people from all walks of life. You will attend group therapy sessions with people in the facility, and you will hear the stories of those who are seeking treatment. Together you will move forward in your recovery process. You will be encouraged to build friendships with others in recovery, as a peer support network is an integral part of your success.

The Importance of a Strong Support Network

Your support network is made up of the people you are going to contact when you feel your sobriety begin to lapse. There can be all types of people in your support network. If you commit to working with an individual therapist, they are generally an important part of your support network that is unbiased and professional. You'll meet peers who are struggling in recovery and these individuals are a good support for you. Friends and family members may also be part of your support network, but the people who understand best what you are going through are those that have been there before.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Addiction Recovery

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a therapeutic process that enhances your ability to remain sober and move forward in your life. Known as CBT, this form of therapy helps you change negative thought patterns into more productive ones. You will learn how your thought patterns have a negative impact on your behaviors and you will be taught ways to think more constructively. It's a slow process, but CBT has been proven highly effective in helping individuals who are struggling with addiction and looking to change their life.

Traveling for the Right Program

If you live in a rural area, you may need to travel a distance to find alcohol treatment facilities. This can feel overwhelming, especially if you have never traveled far from home before. If you can't find an alcohol treatment program in your area, it is worth taking the steps to travel to find the right program. Your recovery is important and when you take the chance at locating a program and you are willing to travel, you will discover that it's not so hard after all. You can recover from your addiction to alcohol, but you have to be willing to take the first step and ask for treatment.

It's Time to Get Help

It will never feel like the perfect time to seek treatment. Stop making excuses and get ready to get your life back from addiction with the help of an alcohol treatment facility. Over time you will see how much your life improves once you are able to get sober.